Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
10:36

Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage

Published on: January 27, 2019

Antibiotic use in premature infants after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit

Scott A Lorch1, Kelly C Wade, Susan Bakewell-Sachs

  • 1Center for Outcomes Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. lorch@email.chop.edu

Clinical Pediatrics
|May 19, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Antibiotic prescribing patterns in premature infants are influenced by non-medical factors. Black race, male gender, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and household size impact antibiotic use, affecting care variations.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Premature infants represent a vulnerable population with unique healthcare needs.
  • Antibiotic stewardship is crucial, especially in high-risk pediatric groups.
  • Understanding factors influencing antibiotic prescription is essential for optimizing care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with antibiotic receipt in premature infants post-discharge.
  • To investigate predictors of both recommended and non-recommended antibiotic use.
  • To explore disparities in antibiotic prescribing patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study of 891 premature infants.
  • Multivariable Poisson models were employed to analyze antibiotic receipt.
  • Factors examined included race, gender, medical conditions, and household characteristics.

Main Results:

  • Black race, male gender, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and additional children at home were associated with increased antibiotic receipt.
  • Male gender and larger household size predicted non-recommended antibiotic use.
  • Black infants received care at facilities with higher rates of non-recommended antibiotic prescribing.

Conclusions:

  • Factors beyond medical necessity influence antibiotic prescribing in premature infants.
  • Sociodemographic characteristics and healthcare facility practices contribute to variations in antibiotic use.
  • Addressing these disparities is vital for equitable and effective antibiotic stewardship in pediatrics.

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion01:26

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Excretion

In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Microbiota Modulation by Antibiotics01:21

Microbiota Modulation by Antibiotics

Antibiotics have revolutionized modern medicine by saving countless lives from bacterial infections. However, their widespread use has inadvertently harmed the delicate balance of the human gut microbiota. The gut microbiota, a complex community of bacteria, archaea, viruses, and fungi, plays a vital role in regulating metabolism, immune responses, and maintaining intestinal health. Antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum types, disrupt this ecosystem by eradicating both harmful and beneficial...
Acute Pyelonephritis II: Diagnostic Studies and Management01:28

Acute Pyelonephritis II: Diagnostic Studies and Management

Introduction:For diagnosing acute pyelonephritis, a comprehensive patient history is collected to identify symptoms such as dysuria, frequent or urgent urination, flank pain, or costovertebral angle (CVA) tenderness that may suggest a kidney infection.Physical ExaminationDuring the physical examination, CVA tenderness is assessed. This involves gentle percussion over the costovertebral angle, where tenderness often indicates a kidney infection.Diagnostic TestsUrinalysis: Used to identify white...
Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care01:30

Urinary Tract Infection III: Diagnostic Studies and Interprofessional Care

A healthcare provider can diagnose a urinary tract infection (UTI) through several methods:Medical History and Symptoms: The provider will take a detailed medical history and ask about symptoms such as frequent urination, burning sensation during urination, and lower abdominal pain.Urinalysis: A clean-catch urine sample is collected in a sterile container and tested for the presence of bacteria, white blood cells (leukocytes), nitrites, blood, and protein. The presence of leukocytes and...
Drug Dosing: Infants and Children01:29

Drug Dosing: Infants and Children

Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence01:22

Pharmaceutical Alternatives: Stability-Related Therapeutic Nonequivalence

Generic intravenous (IV) drugs are considered bioequivalent to their branded counterparts due to their 100% bioavailability upon administration. However, variations in stability among different drug products can significantly influence their therapeutic performance, even if they are pharmaceutically equivalent.Cefuroxime, a prophylactic antimicrobial, is often used as a single-dose IV injection for patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. A 3 g dose typically provides...